4 Chord Pop Phrase Composition: Teacher notes In this unit, there are 5 levels. Each level is written to allow students to have a finished composition ready for assessment. Each level builds upon the previous level in theory content and musical knowledge. Resources for Students: 4 Chord Pop Phrase Composition Recipe Cards.pdf

These are the instruction cards to give to the students to follow. 4 Chord Pop Phrase Analysis.pptx

This is a template for students to keep a digital portfolio of each step in their composition, it also provides a place for them to keep a record of the weblink for their work, so they don’t lose it. See the last page in the Teacher Notes as to how you can use it in Google Slides as well.

Theory content (Grade 2/3 Theory) to teach prior to, or alongside task:

1. Major, Chromatic, Pentatonic scale 2. Scale degree numbers 3. Tonic triads and triads based on scale degrees 4. Chord Voicing – root or inversions 1st & 2nd 5. Melody writing

a) Based on chord progression b) Starts on any note in tonic chord and must end on tonic note c) Notes in each bar

i. based on chord notes ii. leading note must go up to the tonic

iii. add passing notes 6. Cadences (perfect and plagal)

Summative Task: Write a 4-bar phrase using the I V vi IV chord progression in octave 1 and a melody line in octaves 2/3. Assessment Conditions:

1. Provide a screenshot of your composition and the weblink. 2. Notate your composition either by hand or in notation software.

Assessment Criteria: 1. Considered arrangement of music using the elements of music to explore a personal style in music

composition and performance. 2. Considered manipulation of the elements of music using technology and/or notation to

communicate music ideas. 3. Considered use of style and conventions in musical compositions.

Hook/intro: The Axis of Awesome are a comedy band, whose most well-known song is ‘4 chords’. ‘4 chords’ highlights the chord progression I V vi IV used in many pop songs, by creating a mashup of over 40 pop songs. Watch: 4 Chords | Music Videos | The Axis Of Awesome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

4 Chord Pop Phrase Composition: Online Software: Chrome Music Lab – Song Maker https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments Chrome Music Lab - Song Maker is Free! It is designed for use in Google Chrome web browser, however, does work in other web browsers. It works on any device – computer, tablet and phone. Features:

• Beat and notes are separated into boxes in a grid form.

• Colours of notes are equivalent to the coloured chromatic Boomwhackers and bells.

• Only the notes of the scale/key signature set in the settings are visible/able to be selected, making it easy to compose with notes that work together.

• Melodic track and percussion track. • You can change sound sets.

Settings:

• Length: how many bars in your song • Beats per bar: how many crotchet beats in the bar • Split beats into: 2 = quaver notes, 4 = semiquavers • Scale: choose either major, chromatic, pentatonic • Start on: the first note of the scale/key signature • Range: set to the number of octaves you want

Save/Share/export/import:

• Because you are not working in an account the only way to share work with others, or save and go back to work on your song at a later date, you must click save and copy the weblink, then paste it into a digital document like word/PowerPoint etc

• Important: Each time you click save it will create a new weblink, therefore ensure you copy and paste each time.

• I encourage my students to do this consistently along the way. It also gives you multiple variations of your song.

• The next time you want to work on it, copy the link from the document/place you saved it and paste into your web browser.

• Download Midi to open the file in another music software program.

• Download the wav file to play the song from a computer.

4 Chord Pop Phrase Level 1: Basic chord note melody with pre-made chord template

1. Go to https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments 2. Prior to the lesson, set up a I V vi IV chord progression project in Chrome Music Lab – Song Maker,

(settings: 4 bars, 3 octaves, C major, starting on ‘low C’). Alternately use my templates a. Pre-made project - chords in root position:

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/6049052739764224

b. Pre-made project – chords voiced in octave 1 in root/inverted positions:

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/5509635147038720

3. Save the project, copy, and give your students the weblink to open. 4. Teach students that melodies are built on chord notes and rhythm patterns. 5. Give students 2 rules only

a. They can use only the coloured notes in the chords shown in each bar b. They must end their phrase on C (red)

6. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a digital file. 4 Chord Pop Phrase Level 2: Root chords and chord note melody

1. Teach about chords built on scale degrees, extend to identifying major/minor chords in a major scale: C (I) D (ii) E (iii) F (IV) G (V) A (vi) B (vii)

2. Go to https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments 3. Students set up a project in Chrome Music Lab – Song Maker; 4 bars, 3 octaves,

C major, starting on ‘low C’. 4. Create 4 bars on I V vi IV using all root chords.

a. The first bar has chord I. For C major chord I is C major C E G. b. The second bar has chord V. For C major chord V is G major G B D. c. The third bar has chord vi. For C major chord vi is A minor A C E. d. The fourth bar has chord IV. For C major chord IV is F major F A C.

5. Create a melody by creating melodic rhythms in each bar, using only the notes in the chords. Follow these rules:

a. Start your melody on any note in the 1st (tonic) chord of C major, C (red) E (yellow) or G (dark green)

b. Only use the notes in the chord for that bar (same coloured notes an octave higher).

c. There is a special rule for note vii, B (leading note), it must go up to note 1 (I-tonic) as soon as possible, e.g. starting the next bar on C.

d. Finish your melody on the 1st note (tonic) of C major - C (red). 6. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a digital file.

Example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/6005507072983040

4 Chord Pop Phrase Level 3: Root and chord inversions Variation 1 (change chords and leave melody in 3rd octave)

1. Teach about voicing and keeping the chords in the same octave. 2. Go to your saved weblink from the previous activities. 3. Change current chords to chord inversions in the bass to voice in the same

octave (one): 1) First bar - chord I, C major - stays in root position C E G 2) Second bar - chord V, G major - changes to 2nd inversion D G B 3) Third bar - chord vi, A minor - changes to 1st inversion C E A 4) Fourth bar - chord IV, F major - changes to 2nd inversion C F A.

This leaves an octave gap between Bass and Treble. 4. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a digital file.

Example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/6058701887111168

Variation 2 (root and chord variations with chord note melody voiced in 2 octaves)

1. Teach about melodic shape in a phrase. 2. Go to your saved weblink from the previous activities. 3. Move treble notes down in some bars to move between

octave 2 and 3. 4. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a

digital file. Example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/5725332968046592 Variation 3 (chord patterns)

1. Go to your saved weblink from the previous activities. 2. Now change the chords to play a rhythm pattern rather

than playing every quaver note. It can be as simple as playing only the first note in every beat for.

3. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a digital file.

example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/5283178265182208

4 Chord Pop Phrase Level 4: Plagal cadence and passing notes

1. Teach plagal cadences, ending a phrase on chords IV - I. 2. Teach passing notes, a note in between two chord notes. You cannot leap to or

from a passing note. You may only go from a chord note through a passing note to another chord note and your passing notes can only be on weak beats.

Song reference for analysis featured in 4 Chords by Axis of Awesome, is the chorus from Jason Mraz – I’m Yours:

• Includes passing notes (last bar) • Starts on tonic chord note (E), ends on tonic note • Ends on plagal cadence, last bar goes IV-I (2 beats each) I V vi IV I

Variation 4 (adding plagal cadence)

1. Go to your saved weblink from the previous activities. 2. Change last bar to end on the tonic chord by using chord 4

for the first 2 beats and chord 1 for the last 2 beats. You will also have to change the melody in the last 2 beats to match your chord notes.

3. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a digital file.

Example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/6689799851737088 Variation 5 (include passing notes)

1. Go to your saved weblink from the previous activities. 2. Now add passing notes to your melody. 3. Save your project, copy and paste your weblink into a

digital file. Example: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/5413442911993856

4 Chord Pop Phrase Level 5: Import into Mixcraft/Studio One Download your 4-bar phrase as a Midi file and import the file into Mixcraft/Studio One or a similar DAW to continue working on and extend into a full song. For Example:

• Edit notes to be longer/shorter • Change the sound set • Copy and paste the clip to make

sections • Copy and paste the clip into another

track to create multiple tracks with different soundset/instrument

• Add a percussion track • Add loops

Mixcraft

1. Select ‘save’ in Chrome Song Maker 2. Select ‘Download Midi’ 3. Open a new Mixcraft project (set to

1 instrument track) 4. Click on the ‘Sound’ menu 5. Select ‘Add A Sound File’, search for

and choose your downloaded Song Maker MIDI file. Or right click on the instrument track and select Add Sound File, search for and choose your downloaded Song Maker MIDI file.

6. Double click on the instrument clip to bring up the editing pane

Studio One

1. Select ‘save’ in Chrome Song Maker 2. Select ‘Download Midi’ 3. ‘Create a New Song’, select ‘Empty

Song’, select ‘OK’ 4. Insert an instrument track 5. Either insert midi file by dragging

from the folder into studio one instrument track or by

6. Double click on the instrument clip to bring up the editing pane

Digital Portfolio of Work A PowerPoint file has been provided as a template for your students to keep a record of their work. This is especially important since Song Maker is not an account-based program. Students will need to copy and paste the weblink from their project as a record to go back to in a later lesson to continue working from. Just copy and paste the link from your presentation into Google Chrome and it will open your project where you left off. Remember each time you save you will need to copy and paste the weblink, as it will be a new one. The PowerPoint file is easily converted to a Google Slide by uploading to your Google drive, opening it and saving as a Google Slide. Both Power Point and Google Slides allow you to insert screenshots and images plus audio files. If using Google Slides, an additional feature is the ‘Flat for Docs’ add on used to insert snippets of music notation. Flat for Docs can be added to Google Slides via the Marketplace. Google Slides - Flat for Docs: This is where you access Flat for Docs once you have installed it. It opens up a window to work in. You have the option of single staff or two staves. Once you have finished notating, you can click play to here it and then click insert. The ‘musical snippet’ inserts as an image which you can resize and place wherever you want on the page.